The present invention pertains to air conditioning and more specifically to an air conditioning unit suitable for motor vehicles.
Japanese Patent Kokai Publication H09(1997)-267620 discloses an air conditioner unit having therein a heat exchanger 703 for cooling, a heat exchanger 705 for heating and a blower fan 701, as shown in FIG. 29. This air conditioner unit is disposed between engine room (or engine compartment) and passenger compartment of a vehicle, at the middle in the width of the vehicle. In this air conditioner unit, the conditioned air flows upward along the rear wall of the air conditioner unit on the passenger compartment""s side and then discharges into the passenger compartment 707 through an aperture 709. Therefore, there is formed, between the upward air passage along the rear wall on the passenger compartment"" side and the rearward passage to the aperture 709e, a rearward bend which increases the resistance of the air flow and which makes it difficult to distribute the conditioned air uniformly among a center ventilation aperture and left and right side ventilation apertures.
Japanese Patent Kokai Publication No. H11(1999)-78482 discloses an air conditioner mounting structure employing an assembly method with a subassembly fixed to a steering member of a vehicle. This structure can cause trouble in a ventilation door due to strain produced in the air conditioner unit during assemblage.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an air conditioning apparatus which can reduce the air flow resistance.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an air conditioning apparatus which can distribute conditioned air uniformly between center ventilation apertures and (left and right) side ventilation apertures.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide an air conditioning apparatus advantageous for the accuracy of assembly.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide an air conditioning apparatus advantageous for the size reduction and compactness.
According to the present invention, an air conditioning apparatus for a vehicle, comprises:
a blower fan;
a cooling heat exchanger;
a heating heat exchanger; and
a unit case enclosing the blower fan, the cooling heat exchanger and the heating heat exchanger, and defining therein an air conditioning passage for conveying air from the blower fan through the cooling heat exchanger and the heating heat exchanger, to an upper outlet opening. The air conditioning passage comprises an upstream passage section extending downward on a first side (such as a passenger compartment""s side) of the blower fan to convey the air from the blower fan downward, an intermediate passage section extending under the blower fan in a first direction from the first side to a second side of the blower fan, and a downstream passage section extending upward on the second side (such as an engine compartment""s side) of the blower fan to the upper outlet opening for directing the air over the blower fan in a second direction from the second side toward the first side.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a heating heat exchanger extends from a far end to a near end toward a cooling heat exchanger, and a bypass passage is formed between the cooling heat exchanger and the near end of the heating heat exchange. An air mix door is arranged to open and close the bypass passage to control a proportion of bypass air flowing through the bypass passage bypassing the heating heat exchanger and a proportion of warm air passing through the heating heat exchanger.
According to still another aspect of the present invention, a unit case of an air conditioner unit comprises a drain reservoir located below a cooling heat exchanger and located between a first side wall of the case and an outlet side of the cooling heat exchanger. Moreover, the unit case comprises a partition separating the drain reservoir from an upstream passage section for conveying air from a blower fan to the cooling heat exchanger.
According to still another aspect of the present invention, a unit case of an air conditioner unit comprises a blower housing wall extending around a blower fan to a free end portion defining a blower outlet opening between a first side wall and the free end portion, for discharging the air from the blower fan into an upstream passage section of an air conditioning passage, an upper support bracket supporting an upper end of a cooling heat exchanger, and first and second housing support walls connecting the upper support bracket and the free end portion of the blower housing wall. The first housing support wall defines the upstream passage section with the first side wall. The second housing support wall extends from the upper support bracket toward a downstream passage section of the air conditioning passage to guide the air into the downstream passage section. According to still another aspect of the present invention, an air conditioning apparatus comprises an air filter disposed on an upstream side of a cooling heat exchanger. The air filter may comprise a filter frame having an upper side formed with an air inlet.
According to still another aspect of the present invention, an air conditioning apparatus comprises a slide door unit disposed between a cooling heat exchanger and a heating heat exchanger.